On-location updates from the not-for-profit Matuku Island Organic Farming Project (Fiji)
The Matuku Island Organic Farming Projectis now 12-months in and progressing positively! If you’ve been following along since the last update then firstly, thank you! and secondly, you’ll be pleased to know formal organic certification training workshops will commence over July-August this year in collaboration with the Pacific Organic & Ethical Trade Community (POETCom). This collaboration will greatly assist the Project in creating long-term positive community impacts through the creation of environmentally sustainable economic opportunities.
Our last trip to Matuku Island took place in early March 2016 and thankfully the Island was not impacted by the severe Tropical Cyclone Winston that hit Fiji on the 20th of February 2016. Community interest in the Organic Farming Project remains strong with the 1st Organic Steering Committee established in the village of Qalikarua along with the 1st organic seedling nursery. The Centre for Pacific Crops & Trees (CePaCT) kindly provided 50 tissue banana and sweet potato tissue culture seedlings, all of which were successfully planted out into the organic nursery. Unfortunately the majority of vanilla cuttings taken in September 2015 had not survived due to a prolonged drought on the Island (9 months), however residents remain undeterred and are looking forward to receiving further inputs in July-August this year.
Thank you again to all parties that contributed to the recent trip and we are sincerely looking forward to kicking-off the organic workshops later this year!
Notes and sources:
* Images: All taken on location on Matuku Island by Litia Kirwin
* Pacific Organic & Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), website
* Pacific Organic Standard, file download
* Centre for Pacific Crops & Trees (CePaCT), website